Method of molding flexible patterns



Feb. 10, 1948. M. BEAN METHOD OF MOLDING FLEXIBLE PATTERNS Filed May 18, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 www Patented Feb. 10, 11.948

cassiera FFI'CE METHODOF MOLDING FLEXIBLE PTTERNSA Morrisean, Yellow Springs, Ohio @riginal application' August 1', 1940, Serial-No-. 349,032: Dividedn and this application May I8 1943; SerialfNo. 487,527 l 4 Claims.

This invention relates to methods and molds for making. patternsiforuse-infmolding? 0f plas" ter and theV like. l

For a long time, in the art of moldingthe advantagesof: using a., flexiblematerial for a pattern or mold have been, recognized. Such Ilexible material can bel pulled awayl from under-- cut places Without damage either to itselfl or the material molded against: it or to thefmaterialrit is molded in, as, the Vcase maybe.. Hence, complex forms or shapes canT be made,l particularly of plaster of. Pa1:is,. froml a single.V pattern or mold.` Wherea complex pattern or mold of many partsy would have to be used if it werey made of. a rigid material.

The advantages tobe gainedlinthe useof flex,- ible patterns are of particularl interest. for malr-A ing molds bonded. with plasterr` of Parle. It. is a well known fact that mold. materials containing a substantial proportion. of plaster of Paris canbe gauged Withwater. andmade to flow in around the pattern asa fluid plastid. which will. subsequently. set within ashortA .space of time.L to a rigid solid havingv high strength and resistance to disintegration from. mechanical abrasion.

The formation off such. flexible patterns is clearly of. great. importance since it. is'. apparent thatamoldedi shape. derived-.from a flexible pat.- tern can have an. accuracyot configuration no greater than thatl of theV pattern from. whichY it is prepared'. Flexible, patterns are usually madev by pouring flexible materi'ah while in` a4 plastic condition, into a mold' cavity ofthe desired configuration. 'Ifhereaften` the fi'exible materialis allowedto somewhat harden, and. is` then separated from the master mold'. Heretofore, considerable. difficulty has` been. encountered during the. hardening ofthe 'exible material and in. separating. the same from the master mold because of shrinkage which has resulted, in irregularitiesin. the pattern surface.A Y

It is accordingly an object of my. invention. toV overcome these disadvantages.- and to` provide a. pattern, structure free of. irregularitiesand which. is adapted to reproduce form and dimensionsac.- curately in alarge number of casts made upon.` it.

Another object of.A the, invention` is tof provide. a novel: and economical.` method for producing. the pattern in such a way as to. avoidirregulari-v ties in the conguration sought.

` Other; objects and. advantages willbefapparent tothose skilled; in;5 the art from the..followingV speciiication..

are.- use'd together,v butv whichy may also;y loel used independently with; improvement over patternsknownprior to my invention,

Variousflexible moldable materials may be used for my' inventions. but: L have found great advantage in thev use of a particular material known as Korogel or Korosealf` available commercially under these names from' the B. F. Goodrich Rubber Company.. This isunderstood to be. a. vinyl chloridev gel plasticized. with oresyl phosphate,` which.. ismore particularly-- described. in. the. Journal ot Industrial and Engineering. Chemistry, v01- 2-7, June, 1935,;pages 66,7: to 672.4 Other resiliently elastic thermoplasticmaterials. may be usedfhoweven Soft rubber,` with 01'. vwithoutlvulcanizing, may be. used. The various synthetic rubber-like materials` including,` Vfor example,.Duprene, Thioko1,. andi various polymerization. products.

I havey foundinthe production of. patterns, from this and other thermoplastic. materialsthat there is a relatively high contraction of. the material. after ity is, injectedfinto themoId-andwhile itis coolingaandi thatthis. tend'sto draw the material away. from the surface whichis to bereproduced by the. pattern with formation. of objectionable.. irregularities. on4 the pattern surface. This I have now been ableto. overcome. by treat! ing .the respective. surfaces of. the moldso` that the thermoplasticmaterial; adheres. more, stronglyto the suriacewhch is. to bereproducedthan to the back ofi themold inwhich it.. is formed..

Thus Imay coat the face: of the mold to increase material such as plaster composition, I have found it particularly advantageous to use impregnation of the mold face with a hard wax, such as montan wax, and advantageously a partially rened montan wax, e. g. a mixture of 50% refined and 50% unreflned, or the surface may be impregnated with a solution of a phenolic condensation resin or other suitable hard resin. The material chosen for this purpose is one which impregnates and iiows easily at a temperature which does not dehydrate the plaster; advantageously, as in the case of montan wax, it is one which deters dehydration of the plaster by the hot thermoplastic molded upon it; it should be a material the excess of which can be easily wiped on the surface of the plaster to leave a clean, smooth face; it should not soften at the temperature reached when the hot thermoplastic is molded on its surface; it should not adhere to the thermoplastic so strongly as to make diculty in stripping off the molded thermoplastic; and

used in making these flexible patterns. The mold used in making a pattern out of a thermoplastic material is not to be confused in this discussion with such flexible molds herein referred to as patterns or with molds which may be made from the pattern after it is finished.

The invention here described may advanta geously be used in conjunction with the inventions described and claimed in my copending applications Serial No. 349,032, filed August 1, 1940, and Serial No. 487,528 led herewith, now Patent No. 2,402,528. It is so described in the example given below.

Although in the accompanying drawings I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and have described the same and various modications thereof in this specification, it is to be understood that these are not intended to be o either exhaustive or limiting of the invention, but,

its contraction on solidication and/or cooling I invention, its principles and the application should be suiflciently low so that it does leave voids.

For the back I have found most suitable a thin r metal foil to which the thermoplastic may adhere but which exes easily away from the back of the mold, or I may dust the back of the mold with talc, or graphite, or may treat it with an insoluble soap or .other material to which the thermoplastic ldoes not readily adhere.

In making a Korogel pattern, the following general procedure is to be followed:

1 The Korogel is heated to a temperature sufficiently high so that it becomes fluid and is poured or otherwise injected into the mold cavity between these treated surfaces and then allowed to cool. During the cooling and solidiflcation of the Korogel there is relatively large contraction, which due to the treatment of the mold surfaces is accommodated entirely at the back of the mold, since the Korogel material is held more strongly at the face than at the back; and as al consequence the Korogel remains molded accurately to every ne detail of the face of the mold,

After the Korogel is solidified, the mold may bey opened by removing the back, i. e. the part' treated for lesser adhesion. The resulting pattern may thereafter be stripped from the face without injury, due to the mild adhesion between the Korogel and the'wax impregnated surface.

Advantageously, however, it is left in this mold until the rigid back is applied and set.

If a metal foil has been used in the mold as a means of reducing the-hold of the Korogel on the back of the mold. this may be stripped olf or left on the back of the pattern, and in thelatter case will serve as a barrier against fugitiveV copending applications, Serial No. 349,032, filed on the contrary, are chosen for the purpose of illustrating the' invention in order that others skilled in the' art may so fully understand the thereof, that they may embody it and adapt it in numerous forms, each as may be best suited to the requirements of its particular use.

Referring to these drawingsz.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a negative impression mold used as a master mold in forming iiexible patterns;

Figure 2 is a view in section of the master mold of Figure 1 showing the formed pattern in position and somewhat shrunken away from the backing:

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the back of the flexible pattern still in place on the negative impression mold and with the anchoring coils aiiixed in the back of the pattern ready for application of the hardenable backing material;

Figure 4 is a view in cross section of the pattern of Figure 3 after the cementitious backing has been applied but before the removal of the negative impression mold;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the flexible pattern and backing after removal of the negative impression mold; and

Figure 6 is a plan view showing a chain link fabric which may be used instead of wire coils for bonding the flexible pattern to its backing.

In Figures 1, 2 and 3 I have shown the pattern and certain steps and apparatus used in its manufacture. Figure 1 shows the mold in which the thermoplastic is formed and given the desired pattern surface. In this I have used a negative impression mold 20, which may be modeled or carved in plaster, clay, hard wax, wood or other suitable material, or may be shaped by molding directly onto a surface which is to be reproduced in the pattern, for example, a plaster castl of the original, The surface of the mold cavity, particularly if a porous material such as plaster is used, is preferably impregnated with a high melting point wax, such as montan wax, advantageously al partially refined montan wax, or a phenolformaldehyde condensation resin such as Bakelite varnish may be used satisfactorily, to give a mold adhesion at the pattern face sufficient to prevent the Korogel from drawing away from the pattern face while it is congealing and yet adapted readily to be freed from the Korogel after it hasl congealed. y Other coatings or lubricating materials can be used on the face of the pattern mold instead of the wax or Varnish: for example, the molds may be dusted with graphite, talc or bronzing powder,

but always the treatment of this mold face at 22 is to be so related to the treatment of the face v(at 2,3) of the back 24 as to have a substantially greater adhesion to the thermo-'plastic molded in the cavity.

To this end', I preferablyy cover the back surface (at 23,.)` of the cavity, away from the molding face 22, with a metal foil 23 which isY free to pull away from the mold face proper and thus to accommodate the entire shrinkage of the thermo-plastic at the surface thus covered with foil. Other coatings than foil may be used for this purpose also. For example, a heavy coating of lubricating material such as graphite, talc or bronzing powder, may be used provided always that the adhesion at the molding face 22 is kept stronger than the adhesion at the facey 2 3- whcrc contraction is to be concentrated.

With the mold parts assembled, as shown in Figure 2, the hot fluid thermo-plastic is poured or otherwise injected into the mold, preferably under a substantial pressure, and is allowed to congeal and cool in the mold. After cooling the pattern is stripped from the mold and is then provided with the anchoring means in the manner illustrated in Figure 3.

In Figure 3, I have shown the completed flexible portion of the pattern with coils of wire I5 laid over its back and distributed over substantially the entire area of the back. These coils are then heated, for example, by pressing with a hot plate, by passing a resistance electrical current through them, or by means of a fine Bunsen flame or otherwise, until a part of each turn is embedded in the thermo-plastic material; but leaving 9, part of these turns projecting from the back, as shown in Figure 3, for example, and the turns spaced for a plaster key.

Either before or after the application of the coils I5 an impervious coating may be applied to the back. If the metal foil has been used in the mold it may be left in position, but may make difculty in applying the coils I5 unless the sur faces of the coil are sufficiently rough to puncture the foil or the foil is otherwise ruptured at the points where the coils contact.

The pattern with these anchoring coils I5 and the impervious backing I6 is ready for application of the rigid backing I0. This I do preferably by placing the pattern thus prepared face down in a suitable mold and casting a plaster mix onto its back, thus forming in situ the rigid backing by which the flexible pattern is supported throughout its use, see Figure 4. The plaster mix or other plastic used for this purpose should be sufficiently fluid to flow around the wires of the coils I5 or other anchoring means or should be tamped lightly to force it around the anchoring means but at the same time to avoid distortion of the pattern.

When the backing has set the pattern with its backing keyed thereto throughout its area may be removed from the mold and is ready for use.

In Figure 5, I have shown a finished pattern assembled on its rigid backing which constitute together a pattern for molding plaster and the like, e. g., in the manufacture of plaster molds for metal casting. The rigid backing shown at It is, in the preferred case, made of plaster, cast in situ onto the back of the flexible pattern I4, which, as already stated above, in the preferred case, is composed 0f Korogel. At I5, I have shown the wire coils, mentioned above, by which the pattern I4 is anchored to the rigid backing I0, and at IS between the backing III and the pattern 6. I4 isV a` layer of impervious material, advantageously parain wax.

The plaster body I8 is made by pouring the plaster over the pattern I4, as is well known in connection with ordinary plastermolding technique.l When the plaster has set and themolding is, therefore, complete, the flexible pattern I4 is readily stripped from the molded article by reason` of its smooth surface and its resilient flexibility, whereas, itis held securely to the rigid backingV ii] by means of the anchoring means I5; and, by reason of the: distribution of these coils, the stripping of the flexible material `from the mold takes place without, any concentration of the stresses which might tear or permanently eform the flexible pattern.

In Figure 6, I have shown another example oi an anchoring means suitable for use in my invention. This is a chain mail fabric, which canx be` partially embedded in the thermo-plastic and the backing in the same way as the wire c0i1s already described. It has the advantage that it can be cut to the size and shape of the back of the mold, laid over it and heated to embed itself in the mold all with somewhat less labor than with the coils.

This application is a division of my prior application Serial No, 349.032, led August 1, 1940, now Patent No. 2,349,806.

What I claim is:

1. The method of making a pattern of a flexible resilient thermo-plastic which comprises forming a rigid negative impression mold with a face adapted to form the molding face of the pattern and to adhere yieldably thereto, forming a complementary rigid mold part with a. surface adapted to form the back of the pattern, applying on said back-mold surface a thin covering adapted to hold the thermo-plastic material substantially less strongly than said face of the negative impression mold, whereby contraction of the material upon cooling is accommodated substantially entirely by retraction from said back mold surface, assembling said molds to form a cavity corresponding substantially to the desired pattern, injecting said thermo-plastic in a heated fluent condition into the cavity and solidifying the thermo-plastic therein by cooling.

2. The method of making a pattern of a flexible resilient thermo-plastic which comprises forming a negative impression mold of plaster of Paris, coating the face of said impression mold with a material to which the thermo-plastic adheres mildly, placing over said impression mold a backing mold adapted to complete a mold cavity, covering the face of said backing mold with a flexible sheet substantially non-adherent to said backing, impervious to the thermo-plastic and capable of flexing upon application of a force per unit area, exerted in a direction transverse to its surface, less than the force per unit area, exerted in the opposite direction, which would be necessary to break adhesion of the thermo-plastic to the coated impression face, and injecting the thermo-plastic in a hot fluid condition into said mold cavity and cooling it to a solid resilient condition therein.

3. The method of making a pattern of a vinyl chloride gel thermo-plastic which comprises forming a negative impression mold, coating the face of said impression mold with a phenolic resin type varnish, placing over said impression mold a backing mold adapted to complete a mold cavity,

`-covering the face of said backing mold with a flexible metal foil capable offiexingupon appli- 7 cation of a force per unit area, exerted in a direction transverse to its surface, less than the force per unit area, exerted in the opposite direction, which would be necessary to break adhesion of the thermo-plastic to the coated impression face, 5

and injecting the thermo-plastic while hot into said mold cavity and cooling it to a solid resilient condition therein. l

4. The method of making patterns for molding plaster and the like which comprises forming a 10 negative impression mold of plaster, forming a vinyl chloride gel thermo-plastic composition in said negative impression mold, before said forming impregnating with montan wax the surface of the mold which is to form the face of 15 the pattern, and treating the surface of the mold which is to form the back of said pattern to make it less adherent to the hot thermo-plastic than the impregnated face.

MORRIS BEAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES "Goodrich Korrgel, publication oi B. F. Goodrich Co., New Products Dept., pages 1 and 2. 

